Body lifter and carrier



March 8, 1927.

c. w. SMITH BODY LIFTER AND CARRIER Filed May 6, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1March 8, 1927.

C. w. SMITH BODY LIFTER AND CARRIER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May l925 J Ha .3 z i, z m

I I I J I I I I I. l I Z l I l l I I I I I CT MS?! 1; in;

4,17 fl q Patented Mar. 8, 1927.

PATENT/OFFICE. I

1 CHARLES w. SMITH, or BANNER, OKLAHOMA.

' BODY LIFTER AND oannrnn.

Application filed May 6,

This invention relates to body litters and carriers and has its generalobject to provide a device, by the use oi? whicln an undertaker may moreconveniently handle a corpse, as -tor example in supporting the same inan elevated position whiletransferring it from a bed or couch to acasket and while pertorming other work, such for example as the removalof garments from the corpse and dressing the same for burial.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a body litterand carrier which may be conveniently moved about. from place to placeand so disposed with relation to a bed or couch or a casket, that thebody supported thereby may be suspended in an elevated position directlyabove the bed or couch or the casket. Another object of the invention isto pro vide a body litter and carrier for the purpose stated which maybe conveniently adapted to the body to be lifted and moved, and which,when properly adjusted to the body, will firmly and securely grip thesame in a manner to insure against accidental release of the body.

Another important object of the invention is to provide, in a bodylitter and carrier, novel means for bracing the body to be supportedthereby in a firm and secure manner and, at the same time, permit ofconvenient release oi the body after it has been lowered to the positionwhich it is desired it shall occupy.

Another important object of the invention is to so construct the devicethat it may be readily adjusted to adapt it for use in lifting andcarrying bodies of differentstature so that, regardless of the statureof the body, the same may be lifted and carried by the device withoutany likelihood of sagping ot' the body.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means for grippingthe trunk of the body and. likewise, novel means for supporting the headand feet of the-body so that when the supporting structure of the deviceis adjusted to an elevated position, the body will be supportedsubstantially horizontally, or, in a natural'reclining position.

Tn the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the iody litter and carrier embodyingthe invention 1925. Serial No. 28,497.

' adjusted to position beside a couch and having its supportlng membersadjusted to sup taken substantially on the line l-d of Figure 2, lookingin the direction indicated by the arrows.

The device embodying the invention includes a supporting base structurewhich is indicated in general by the numeral 1 and which comprisesspaced side members 2 which may be of metal, wood, or any othermaterial. found suitable for the purpose, and which are individuallysupported at their ends bf swiveled casters 3 whereby the device may beconveniently rolled about over a floor surface. A socket member 4 isdisposed against the inner side of one of the side members 2 of the basestructure and secured in place by U-bolts or clips 5 which are disposedto embrace the upper and lower portions of the said socket member andengage at their ends through said side member 2 and have nuts 6 threadedonto their said ends and tightened to cause the U-bolts to securelyclamp the socket member inplace against the member 2. The member 4 isprovided with a laterally presented inte-v riorly threaded socket 7located between the bights of the upper and lower U-bolts, andaconnecting brace member, preferably of tabular form, and indicated bythe numeral 8, is threaded at one end as at 9, into the socket 7 A.socket member 10 correspond ing to the socket member 4 is disposedagainst the inner side of the other side member 2 of the base structureand secured in place by L -bolts 11 disposed to embrace the same in thesame manner as in the instance or? the e -bolts 5 and engage at theirends through the said side member 2 and secured by nuts 12. The member10 is provided with a laterally presented interiorly threaded socket 13corresponding to the socket 7, and the other end of the brace member 8is threaded into this socket, as clearly shown in Figure 2 of thedrawings. In this man ner, the side members 2 of the base structure arerelatively braced and constitute a substantial support for the remainderof the structure.

The socket member is formed in its upper side with a threaded socket 14,and the numeral indicates a tubular standard which is threaded at itslower end into the said socket. In order to hold the standard 15 againstrotation, the standard is formed at one side, at its lower ene, with aslot 16, and a set screw 17 is threaded through one side of the socketmember 10 and projects at its end into the slot, as shown in Figure 2.

The numeral 18 indicates a head which is provided axially with athreaded bore 19 and is formed, likewise axially, and in its under side,with a recess 20 which rotatably fits the upper end of the standardmember 15. A standard section 21, threaded as indicated by the numeral22, is .itted through the threaded opening 19 in the head 18, and isformed with a. longitudinally extending groove 23 in which is enga edthe inner end of a screw 24 which is threaded through one side of thestandard member or section 15, the engagement of the screw 24 in thegroove serving to prevent rotation of the threaded standard section21with relation to the standard section 15 and, at the same time, peritting of vertical adjustment of the standard section 21 telescopicallyin the section 15 upon rotation of the head 18. In order that the feedhead 18 may be rotated so as to er"- fect vertical adjustment of thestandard member or section 21 within the member or section 15, the saidmember 18 is provided upon its under side with an annular beveled gearface 25, and a pinion 26 meshes with this gear portion and is fixed'upona shaft 27 mounted in a hearing at the upper end of a bracket 28 boltedor otherwise secured to the standard member 15. A socket member 29 issecured by a set screw 30 to the outer end of the shaft 2? and has asquare bore 31 to accommodate the squared end 32 of the shank of a crankhandle 33. through the operation 01 which the shaft 27 may be rotated.At this point it will be evident that by rotating the crank handle 33,the standard section 21 may be vertically adjusted in the standardsection 15 and, as will now be explained, the said standard section 21is designed to support certain devices which are intended to be engagedwith the body to be lifted and carried so that, through the verticaladjustment of the said standard section 21, the body may be lifted andsuspended in the use of the device.

The body suspending devices of the carrier are suspended from supportingarms which will presently be more specifically referred to and whichare, in turn, supported by a supporting plate 34, which is ofsubstantially rectangular form and is formed approximately centrallywith an opening 35 which accommodates the reduced threaded upper end 36of the standard section 21, a. nut 37 being threaded onto the saidthreaded end of the standard section and tightened to secure the platein place. It will be understood by reference to Figure 2 of thedrawings, that the standard, as a whole, is located at one side of thesupporting base of the structure, so that the base structure may berolled over the floor surface to assume a position beneath the bed orcouch or the casket, as the case may be, and thus position the standardat one side of the said bed or couch or the casket. At its corners whichare relatively remote from the bed or couch or the casket, when thedevice is positioned as just stated, the plate 34 is formed withoppositely extending pintle portions 38, and the supporting arms heretotore referred to, which are indicated by the numeral 39, are providedat their outer ends with pintle eyes 40 which are both pivotally andslidably adjustably connected with the respective pintle portions 38,the arms, at their intermediate portions, resting upon the upper sidesof supporting members 41 which likewise extend in opposite directionsitrom the inner corners of the said plate 34, the arms being, in thismanner, sustained in a substantially horizontal supporting position andbeing, as stated, slidably adjustable upon the pintle portions 38 and,of course, over the surface of the supporting members 41. Thus. thesearms may be relatively adjusted so that the distance between the armsmay be increased or decreased under conditions to be presentlyexplained.

The supporting arms 39 at their inner ends, or, in other words, theirends which are designed to support the body suspending devices, areturned downwardly as indicated by the numeral 42, and the downwardlyturned portions of the arms are formed with books 43, located at oneside thereof and with upwardly turned shank portions 4.4 located at theopposite sides thereof, the shank portion terminating in an arm 45 whichextends in a slightly downwardly inclined position, the two arms 45extending in opposite directions.

The body supporting means comprises a pair of grapples indicated ingeneral by the numeral 46 and each of these grapples comprises a pair ofcrossed arms 47 pivotally connected at an intermediate point asindicated by the numeral 48, the arms being provided at their upper endswith overturned outwardly extending handle portions 49 whereby the armsmay be conveniently adjusted about their respective pivots in adapting,the grapples to the body to be lifted and carried.

Each grapple is swingingly suspended from a respective one of the hooks43 through the medium of a. suspension chain indicated in general by thenumeral 50, each "chain comprising a section 51 connected at one endtoone of'the grapple arms 47 near the upper end thereof. and a shorterlength connected to the other arm of the respective grapple, a hook 53being connected to the endmost link of the chain section 52 andengageable interchangeably with the links of the section 51 of thechain, whereby the chain may be lengthened and shortened and therespective grapple thus supported at different elevations when the chainas a whole, is engaged over the respective hook 43 of the respectivesupporting arm 39. At this point it'will be evident that when thegrapple is suspended from the respective supporting arm, the grapplearms 47 will be pulled toward each other at their upper ends and thearms will be swung about their pivots 48 to move their lower portionstoward each other. Each grapple arm 47. at its lower portion, supportsa, body embracing member which is preferably formed of sheet metal,although it may be of any other material found'suitable for the purpose,and said member is indicated in general by the numeral 54 and comprisesa relatively broad lower portion and a narrower upperportion. the formerportion being indicated by the numeral 55 and the latter by the numeral56. In order to adapt each body embracing member to more readily adaptitself at its broader lower portion to the contour of the body, the saidportion of each body embracing member is formed with a recess 57. Thebody embracing members 54 are more or less resilient, and, by providingtheir broader lower portions 55 with the recesses 57, the said portionsare better adapted to automatically conform to the. contour of the trunkof the body with which they are engaged, it being understood thatcorresponding ones of the pairs of body engaging or enbracing membersare engaged at opposite sides of the body to be lifted, as clearly shownin Figure 1 of the drawings, the said body embracing members beingcurved from their upper to their lower portions to a concave form tobetter adapt them to fit snugly against the opposite sides of the trunkof a personof ordinary stature.

The lower ends of the grapple arms 47 are pivotally connected by eyeportions58, formed at their said ends, with pintle bails 59 riveted orotherwise secured upon the outer sides of the body embracing members 54,at points substantially intermediate the upper and lower ends of thesaid members, and the lower portions of the arms 47 are curvedsubstantially to conform to the curvature of the said body embracingmembers at their portions which are located above the bails 59.Therefore, the body embracing members may be pivotally swung to assume aposition resting at their upper portions against the inner sides of thelower portions of the arms 47, as shown at the right in-Fig ure 2 of thedrawings. In order to maintain the body embracing n'ieinbcrs 111 thisposition, keeper loops 60 are slid'ably nouned upon the lowerportions'of the arms 47 and are adjustable toengage over the taperedupper ends of the narrower upper portions 56 of the body engagingmembers 54, i as shown in Figure l, and at the right inFigure 2. Inadapting the body engaging members to the trunk of the corpse to belifted and carried, the loops 60 are disengaged about the hips of thecorpse, and the other body engaging members being engaged about thetrunk .of the corpse above the waistline. After the body embracingmembers have been properly positioned, and the grapple arms have beenproperly adjusted, the loops 60 are slid downwardly upon the arms toengage over the upper ends of the body embracing members and lock'thesame in position resting against the inner sides of the said arms. 1

In the use of the apparatus, the same is wheeled to position with thestandard thereof extending npriglitat one side of, for ex:- ample, a bedor couclnupon which the corpse is reposing and, if necessary, the crankhandle 83 is rotated so as to lower the standard section 21 to suchposition that the bodv embracing members 54 may be conveniently disposedagainst the opposite sides of thecorpse 1n the respective positionsPIG-VlOllSlV described. The body members are then adjusted and, afterthe loops 60 have been slid downwardly upon the arms of the grapples tolock the upper ends of the body embracing members 54 in embracingposition, the apparatus is ready for elevation of the standard section21 to bodily lift the corpse.

this being accomplished through rotation of the crank handle 33, as willbe readily understood. At the time of adjusting the body embracingmembers to the corpse, the chains 50 are, of course, properly adjustedasto length so that, at the judgement of the undertaker, the bodv when.elevated, will assume a substantially.horizontal position. Of course,when the crank handle is rotated the standard section'Ql is elevated,the pull upon the chains 50 will result in the upper ends of the grapplearms 49 being moved to.- ward each other and the lower. ends of the andlift) arms being likewise drawn toward each other, thereby causing thebody engaging members 5a to firmly and securely embrace and grip theopposite sides of the trunk of the corpse.

At this point it will be evident that, due to the fact that thesupporting arms 39 are adjustable so as to vary the distance between thearms, the body embracing members .34 may be adjusted so as to embracebodies of different stature, or to be positioned in the manner to bestembrace and support a corpse to be lifted and carried.

In order that the head and feet of the corpse may be supported so thatthe body as a. whole may be elevated and supported in a horizontalposition, a supporting arm section 61 is telescopically adjustablyfitted onto the head one of the arms and a similar tubular arm section62 is telescopically adjustably fitted onto the foot one of the arms 45,slings 63 and 6d of cloth or other material, or, if desired, straps,being suspended from the arm sections 61 and- 62 respectively andengaged respectively beneath the head and ankles of the corpse. It willbe understood, of course, that the support ing arm sections 61 and 62may be adjusted upon the arms 45 to adapt the said arm sections tosupport the slings 63 and er in proper position, depending upon thestature of the body to be lifted and carried.

From the foregoing description of the invention, it will be seen thatthereis provided a device which may be conveniently employed in liftinga corpse from a bed or couch, carrying the same across a room, anddepositing the same in a casket. It will likewise be evident that thedevice may be employed in supporting a corpse while clothing is beingremoved or applied thereto. It will furthermore be evident that While,heretofore, it has been customary to despatch two attendants from anundertakers establishment to prepare acorpse for burial, the device ofthe present invention enables one man alone to perform this work.

Vhile the device is intended primarily for the purpose of lifting andcarrying corpses, it may be employed in lifting and carrying invalids.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. A body lifting device, comprising a base, a standard at one side ofthe base, a supporting member at the upper end of the standardprojecting laterally therefrom in every direction, arms overhanging thebase and slidably connected at one end to the said support at one sideof the standard and engaging the support at the opposite side of thestandard and adjustable laterally towards and from each other and thestandard, and suspending means at the free ends of the arms.

2. A body lifting device, comprising a base, a standard rising from thebase, a supporting member at the upper end of the standard projectinglaterally therefrom in every direction, arms resting upon the supportingmeans and disposed upon opposite sides of the standard and in slidingengagement at one end with. the support at one side of the standard andin contact with the support upon the opposite side of the standard andlaterally adjustable towards and from each other, and suspending meansat the free ends of the arms.

3. A body lifting device, comprising a base, a standard rising from thebase, a supporting member at the upper end of the standard projectingtherefrom in every direction, arms disposed upon opposite sides of thestandard and pivotally connected at one end to the support at one sideof the standard and adapted to engage and rest upon the support at theopposite side of the. standard a short distance from the pivotal end.and suspending means at the free ends of the arms.

4. A body liftin device, comprising a base, a standard at one side ofthe base, a supporting member at the upper end of the standardprojecting laterally therefrom in every direction, arms overhanging thebase and pivotally and slidably connected at one end to the support atone side of the standard and adapted to engage and rest upon the supportat the opposite side of the standard a short distance from the.pivotally and slidably connected end, and suspending means at the freeends of the arms.

5. A. device of the class described com n'ising a vertically adjustablestandard, a plate supported upon the upper end of the standard, meansfor adjusting the standard, pintle members extending in oppositedirections from the plate, supporting portions extending in oppositedirections from the plate in spaced relation to the pintle memhers,supporting arms pivotally and slidably adjustably connected with thepintle members and resting in engagement with the upper sides of thesupporting members, and body suspension means suspended from each arm.

6. In a body lifting device, a body gripping unit comprising a pair ofcrossed pivoted grapple arms, body embracing members pivotedintermediate their ends to the lower ends of the grapple arms, and meanson the grapple arms to engage the upper ends of the body embracingmembers and hold them rigid with respect to the said arms.

7.'In a body lifting device, a body gripping unit comprising a pair ofcrossed grapple arms, body embracing members pivoted intermediate theirends to the lower ends of the grapple arms and having'thcir upper endstapered, and loops slidable on the grapple arms and engageable over thetapered ends of the body embracing members to hold the latter rigid withrespect to the said arms.

8. In a device of the class described, a supporting standard, an armextending from the standard, abody embracing unit comprising a pair ofcrossed pivoted grapple arms, a flexible suspension element suspendedfrom the first mentioned arm and connected at its ends with the saidgrapple arms, above their pivots, and body embracing members carried bythe grapple arms below their pivots, the said body embracing membersbeing pivotally mounted upon the lower portions of the grapple arms, anddetent loops slidably adjustably mounted upon the grapple arms andengageable with the body embracing members to hold the said membersrigid with relation to the said arms.

9. In a device of the class described, a supporting standard, an armextending from the standard, a body embracing unit comprising a pair ofcrossed pivoted grapple arms, a flexible suspension element suspendedfrom the first mentioned arm and connected at its ends with the saidgrapple arms, above their pivots, body embracing members comprisingcurved body embracing plates pivoted intermediate their ends to the saidgrapple arms and oil a general contour to embrace the opposite sides ofthe body to be lifted, each of said plates having its upper portiontapered and its lower portion broad and recessed to provide resilientportions at the opposite sides of the recess to adapt the lower portionsof the members to more readily conform to the contour of the sides ofthe body to be embraced and loops slidable on the grapple arms to engagethe upper tapered ends of the said plates.

10. In a.body lifting device, a standard, a supporting member thereon,arms laterally adjustable on the supporting member and connected theretoat one end and having oppositely disposed hooks and arms at the otherend, body suspending means engaged with the hooks, and sling suspendingmembers carried by the last mentioned arms.

11. A device of the class described comprising a vertically adjustablestandard, means for adjusting the standard, spaced laterally extendingsupporting arms carried by the standard, a body suspension meanssuspended from each arm, and an adjustable arm extension upon each armfor supporting a body suspending sling.

12. A device of the class described com prising a vertically adjustablestandard, means for adjusting the standard, spaced laterally extendingsupporting arms carried by the standard, a body suspension meanssuspended from each arm, and an adjustable arm extension upon each armfor supporting a body suspending sling, said suspension arm extensionscomprising tubular members telescopically adjustably fitting the firstmentioned supporting arms.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CHARLES W. SMITH. 1,. 8.

